The next week was passing by in a blur. I came and went to classes, hung out with Arnie at our scheduled times in the coffee shop, went to more classes, came home, studied, did homework, watched Game of Thrones, and went to bed, then repeat the process.

It was a routine that some would find boring after a while, but I enjoyed my routines in complete honesty. They gave me something I could control in my wild life. Currently I was at lunch in the mess hall. Lately, I had been craving a salad, something I never eat. So I got a salad instead of my usual cheeseburger and fries.

"That looks fascinating." My eyes ripped from my laptop, where I was writing my paper from Religion & Myth I. "Did I scare you? I didn't mean to." The playful glint in Olivia's eyes said otherwise as she added, "Mind if I sit?"

"Go for it." I gestured to the empty chair, grabbing my water and returning to my paper. I raked my fingers through my hair and scanned the writing I had gotten down so far, chewing my bottom lip. I ran my fingers across.

She sat down next to me and I looked up when I heard the screech of the chair drag across the floor. She had a mischievous glint in those blue eyes of hers and her lips twisted upward. "What're you working on, exactly, that's got you so immersed?" she asked, running her fingers through her sleek hair and moving it to her shoulder.

Today she wore dark skinny jeans, a red-and-white letterman jacket, red-and-white high tops, and of course, red lipstick. Her hair was down in waves and sat against her shoulder now, her eyes dusted in dark eyeshadow. It made the blue pop.

"It's my paper for Religion & Myth." I shrugged, moving my eyes from her and forcing them to focus on the laptop. God, why did she have to look so amazing all the damn time?

"I took that last year. Professor Beaumont, good teacher. What's the essay on?" Olivia asked, moving even closer to look over my shoulder. My heart jumped to my throat awkwardly as I stumbled to scroll up and let her read the title of the paper. Her warm breath blew across my jaw and neck as she read through, reading the essay itself now. Her hand slid to my shoulder.

Is she making a move on me? The possibility was there, of course, but then again it could just be me being the awkward human being I am and assuming things. "Ah." She grinned, showing her white teeth through the ruby red grin. "It's good so far. Except." She reached both of her arms from behind me, her lower stomach pressing against my back as she scrolled and highlighted a sentence from the second paragraph with the cursor. I could smell her perfume — she was using some sort of pumpkin candy scent. It was glorious and it made my head spin.

"That is a repeat from the first paragraph. Sometimes those can make the essay grow boring and cause the reader to want to not continue with it. May I?" She looks at me for permission, her grin still there.

"I — yeah, go for it." I nodded. She winked and erased the sentence and started typing, blue gaze focused on the screen as she did. Then she removed her hands from the keyboard.

"Now it references what you mentioned in the introduction paragraph, only it is reworded and it goes along with what you're talking about in this one," she murmured, glancing down at me as her palms rested on top of the table, her body still brushed against mine.

"Thank you," I said, and she hummed in response before pulling away. The smell of pumpkin and candy stayed wrapped in my nostrils even as she sat back in her chair and smiled at me.

"No problem. It's a good paper, I think you'll get a good grade on it," she murmured, her eyes locking with mine.

I cleared my throat and returned the smile thankfully, hoping to God that nothing revealed just how shaken she had made me.

[/\]

Olivia was right. I got a good grade on the paper. Out of sixty points, I got all sixty, and when he returned the copy to me he said, "I hope you don't mind, Violet, but I made my own copy of your paper. The wording was absolutely excellent and the way you explained your thoughts, the way you brought in your sources, was absolutely outstanding. I want to use this for future examples, if you'll let me."

"Of course," I agreed, feeling rather flattered that he thought my paper was good enough to be used as an example. I slid my own copy into the section of my binder that held essays, making sure to snap the teeth shut.

I felt pride in knowing that my essay was yet another success of my writing abilities. I slid my binder into my bag and got up, throwing the bag over my shoulder and following the rest of the students out.

Olivia was waiting for me. She was leaning against the wall, a leg propped up against it. She wore skinny jeans ( which seemed to be her signature look no matter what ), brown leather boots, a loose black shirt, and a brown cardigan. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and she was scrolling through something on her phone. She looked up when she noticed students filing out of my classroom.

Her gaze scanned the crowd intensely until they landed on me, a smile gracing her light pink lips. She locked her phone and stuck it in her back pocket before pushing off the counter and shifting closer toward the door.

"Hey," she greeted, sticking her fingers into her front pockets and watching me as I approached.

"Hi." I smiled back at her, adjusting the backpack onto both of my shoulders. "Were you waiting for me."

A sparkle started in her eyes. "What made such a thought go through that pretty head of yours, hmm? I do have a class in this building, on this floor you know. Maybe I'm just waiting for my class."

I grinned at her, rolling my eyes at her teasing words. "You're such a—"

"Yes?" Olivia purred, smiling more. It was a soft amusement, the warmth on her face allowing my heart to twist in a way it hadn't in a long time. Since Hadley.

"Nothing." I rolled my eyes again and crossed my arms.

She chuckled, shaking her head. The ponytail her hair was up in followed after her and she tilted her head. "So tell me. How did you do on that essay of yours?"

"I got full points. He even made a copy to use as an example for future classes," I admitted, a small smile of pride starting to form on my face.

Olivia straightened up, throwing her arms around me all of a sudden in a gentle embrace. "That's great, Violet," she breathed, sounding as happy as I felt in knowing.

I flushed into her chest, surprised and caught off guard by the sudden warmth that enveloped me. She smelled like pumpkins and candy again, one of the most intoxicating mixtures ever to exist. Whoever created it had my thanks.

"Thanks," I breathed, slowly wrapping my arms around her neck and returning the hug. I could tell her smile into my hair. "You helped."

"I edited one sentence, darling. This is all you," Olivia retorted, squeezing me once before pulling back from the embrace. I frowned inwardly at the loss of her touch, but kept silent. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," I said again, smiling wider. The damn blush didn't leave my cheeks either, and it was all thanks to the attention and praise I had been getting from the beautiful woman who stood in front of me.

"You're welcome. You deserve it, you know." She glanced behind her and scrunched her nose up slightly when she saw some students slowly slugging into a classroom. "I gotta go. Talk later?" She said, backing up casually. Her eyes locked onto mine.

I didn't break the gaze as I lifted two of my fingers to give her a salute. "As you wish, mistress."

Olivia grinned and shot me a sly wink. "Don't tempt me, darling. See you." She disappeared into the classroom.

[/\]

I was startled to discover that Arnie wanted to go out for "a night on the town" as she called it. She had shoved into my apartment and forced me into my room, then began raiding my damn closet.

I sat on top of my bed in complete shock, watching her rummage through my clothes. I picked up a crop top from where it was strewn across my desk lamp and folded it neatly. "Arnie, you could, I dunno, try and do all this without destroying my bedroom."

Arnie ignored me, mumbling to herself as she gave one of my small denim jumpers a look of disgust, as though she saw a rat with a deformed body skitter by.

I sighed and leaned against the wall my bed was pressed against, drawing my knees up and laying my arms across them. "What's the big deal anyway? So we're going downtown. It'll be fun and it'll be nice, yeah, but you don't exactly have to dress to impress. I've seen you wear your unicorn onesie down there," I reminded her.

"You don't understand. Both Delia and Olivia are coming," Arnie said, shaking her head rapidly and flicking her red bangs from her eyes. "It is crucial you look hotter than Taylor Swift in her new music video. That bitch is very freaking hot, so we have work to do."

She was freaking out about what I should wear because of the two very smoking, very out-of-my-league women were joining us for the night on the town? Maybe I would give Arnie a little credit for her obsessive worry for my style choices if they were both coming.

"Is it just the four of us, then?" I asked, watching her as she picked up my army green bomber jacket and squint at it before laying it across her lap, on top of a pair of very skinny black jeans.

"Yes. Delia aced her exam and wanting me and you to go out for a night, and Olivia was there so Delia kinda asked her."

"Kinda asked her? What the hell does that mean?"

Arnie bit her lip and shifted around so she could face me. "Olivia asked about you, and whether or not you were going to actually be there. When I told her that you'd most likely be there, Delia decided she didn't want to seem like a jerk. So she asked Olivia to come along."

I laughed, shaking my head. "She didn't have to if she didn't want to. I don't really think Olivia's the type of person to be overly hurt if she wasn't invited out."

Arnie shrugged her shoulders and picked up a tossed white shirt that hung low on my chest and was loose on by body, deciding to add it to the outfit she was creating. "Yeah, but Delia probably thinks that I'm your eyes and ears. Maybe she was worried I would make her seem like a jerk."

I scoffed. "You can't even tell me what time football games start just so I don't come over to your place early and force your ass to get ready. I don't think she needs to be worried about you."

Arnie frowned at me. "Okay, ouch." She flipped me off before looking through my closet again. "Now, what shoes do you have?"

"I could wear those black ankle boots I haven't worn in like forever," I offered, glancing at the outfit she had picked and adding, "It would look good."

She threw the clothes at me. "Get dressed, and brush your teeth, wash your face, and get ready for me to put makeup on that ugly ass face."

"Okay, now that's just unnecessary," I shot back, getting off the bed and getting changed. "You better clean up the clothes you threw all over my damn room or I swear to god I will shave you bald in your sleep."

She threw her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, bitch no need to get nasty."

I got dressed into the black skinny jeans, the white loose shirt, and the green bomber jacket. As I went to the bathroom, I heard the clatter of plastic hangers fall on the bed and the shuffling of clothes.

I brushed my teeth and cleaned my face, and by the time I finished checking my face for any forming blackheads and zits, Arnie had successfully cleaned up my bedroom. She went through my stuff in the bathroom and added a soft pallet of foundation to my face, hiding any blemishes and acne scars that threatened to ruin my look. She added some blush, and winged eyeliner, but avoided eyeshadow and only used a skin lipstick.

She then curled the end of my hair into ringlets, smacking the side of my head when I told her, "It's a girls night, not a date, Arnie."